I agree, weight would be the downside of ammo cases. But for us 'little people', (160#) weight is not as big an issue for me as volume. For camping / fishing trips (my primary purpose for this tiger) one is hauling lots of relatively light, but bulky, items. I can stuff toploaders a lot easier than my side loaders (regardless of brand) , and strap the 75L Sealine bag over the top - good to go. Perhaps if I got more organized... ? Anyway, I have sideloaders on my girlie - work great for road trips. It's a lot like tire choices - & really about what you're going to use the machine for. I've had Cariboo cases & liked em' - were good frame pucks too - slide well, instead of catching on rocks like metal. But just couldnt pack em tight enough for my needs / purposes.

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After I striped some unnecessary handles off the ammo cases they each weighed in at 18lbs. Happy trails site lists the weight of their similarly sized box at 12.5lbs. I can live with that difference.

After I striped some unnecessary handles off the ammo cases they each weighed in at 18lbs. Happy trails site lists the weight of their similarly sized box at 12.5lbs. I can live with that difference.

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The seahorse cases are a little small, but I have all lightweight backpack gear and like to go as light as possible from my days on dualsports. Anyway, they are 7lbs each. I think my whole cargo for camping off the bike is about 50lbs.

EDIT: BTW, since this is a Tiger Pannier thread I'll post this here...
I just fit a Leo Vince exhaust and the forward clamp for the Happy Trails racks goes right where the head pipe for the muffler is. THEY WON'T WORK TOGETHER. I even tried shimming out the lower part of the exhaust system, various spacers on the top mount - nada. Can't make them fit. Guess I'm returning the LV can. Dayammm....

Good to know on the LV pipe fitment issue. I thought someone else, on some thread, somewhere, also had issues with 800 tigger & after market exhaust - just not sure which brand. If I bash up these Zega's - Im replacing with Cyclingtom ammo cans. Similar dimensions & about $900 cheaper !! I probably carry an excess of stuff on my fishing / camping trips - but I go for 2 weeks at a time - 3-4 times / yr (being retired is good) & like my creature comforts. I use compression bags for everything that is compressable, but still look like the Clampets arriving in Beverly Hills.

Just finished my take on the ammo can panniers for the Tiger stripped all bracing also built new lids from aluminum finished weight 14 lbs.The ammo can lids weigh almost 7 lb each . I will try to post pics as soon as my daughter gets home with her camera .

Just finished my take on the ammo can panniers for the Tiger stripped all bracing also built new lids from aluminum finished weight 14 lbs.The ammo can lids weigh almost 7 lb each . I will try to post pics as soon as my daughter gets home with her camera .

Here's my current setup on the new bike...
Seahorse SE-720 boxes on Happy Trails rack, and one more for a topbox on a CJDesigns cargo rack. Works out quite nicely actually. I'm just rolling here for a 3-day trip up the coast, maiden trip.

I find these cases to be a good size, with enough room to bring what you need but not so big that you bring too much junk and get too heavy. And they're watertight! The topbox is particularly handy, and I've built a nice backrest for the wifey for when she comes along.

Part of the route was some pretty challenging jeep roads, so had a chance to try out the FULL BORE USA adventure tires and get the bike dirty for the first time. BTW, the bike handles this stuff just great.

Here's a quick pic of my Caribou/Pelican 40L. I'm hoping to get my jacket & riding jeans in it, though I may wind up putting one of them in my pack while I'm hiking. For trip & running errands its a nice size.

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So based on this photo I got the Caribou 36 Liter case and it looks about the same. Wish I'd gotten the 40 after all since esthetically there would be little to no difference. Considering how big these boxes are, they look great on the Tiger XC and they come complete with your very own personal vortex that borrows space from another dimension.
I put way more in that box that should possibly fit.

Tough, simple to install, seems to hold on pretty well on washboard roads and rocky terrain and it detaches relatively easily to take inside.

As a comparo, the Seahorse are 26L. They don't overwhelm the back of the bike at all. It looked kind of big on the Versys, hung off the back some. But fits the Tiger perfectly.
They are the same as Storm i2400 or Pelican 1520.

Carribou cases makes some nice stuff, but for me they are rather large and rather expensive. I enjoyed coming up with my own installation for half the cost.

My top box is bolted on, not removable. I don't bother locking it, but I don't leave the bike unattended in public places. I guess I really need to pick up a padlock set for them should I ever need to lock them. Same deal here, Carribou has nice cylinder lock sets for their cases, and quick-disco hardware. That's where the extra cost comes in.

Don't know much about the Seahorse, but I've had the Storm and the Pelicans. The Pelicans are bad ass.

If they would just make a case with the dimensions of the 1520 that was a top loader.....w/o wheels.

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The seahorse are a cheap knock-off.
Seriously, they are not quite as rigid, but are bit lighter, a bit smaller, but carry the same warranty. For bike luggage they work fine for me. Some may find them too small. The good news is that they are $48 each.

The i2600 or 1550 is going to be so close to your 1520 that once mounted you won't be able to tell the difference.

Online discounters sell the storms and pellicans for right at about $100.

MEI has cylinder locks if you think you really need them. www.casesbymasco.com These guys have all this stuff in stock, at cheap prices, and ship same day.

EDIT: BTW, some time ago a ADV guy did a complete side by side comparo on Pelican and Storm cases. The storms are a little nicer to look at and a little nicer to use. If anyone wants the link I can dig it up. Both Twisted Throttle and Carribou Cases offer the storm i2600 case in their pannier systems. They're really a nice case.

Also, on the 1520 vs 1550 size, the length and width is about an inch different. The smaller one is also an inch shallower and that does not help in packing. Makes so little difference in overall width on the bike that it's not even worth noting.

Yes, they all have an attach/detach system. Some are more slick than others, some cost more than others.
Specifics?

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I dont mean something that has to be unscrewed from the inside of the bag. I am looking for a system that easily unlatches with the turn of a key and the lifting of a lever. So you can carry the entire bag in a manner similiar to a suitcase.

I know the Triumph OEM bags operate like this, as do the BMWs. From what I can see the aftermarket "adventure" type bags are not quite so easy to remove.

I dont mean something that has to be unscrewed from the inside of the bag. I am looking for a system that easily unlatches with the turn of a key and the lifting of a lever. So you can carry the entire bag in a manner similiar to a suitcase.

I know the Triumph OEM bags operate like this, as do the BMWs. From what I can see the aftermarket "adventure" type bags are not quite so easy to remove.

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The only ones that you describe are Happy Trails - http://www.happy-trail.com I've been using them that way for about 3 years, works fine for me. If you pack cargo in carry sacks then loading and loading is super easy so getting into them to release them is painless. I don't lock my cases.

But yeah, for just unclip and carry, lockable cases, these are the sources:

Twisted Throttle has SW Motech www.twistedthrottle.com - their quick-release plate attaches to the panniers, all external operation. Works with any kind of case, Givi, HB, Coucase, Pelican, etc.

I don't care whether it's quick release or not, as long as the shape is "boxy" enough I can use an inner liner that I can carry into the hotel. Easier, lighter, and a lot cleaner than carrying the whole case.

I've spent a long time researching all the different options for panniers. A while back, I settled on the Givi racks, mainly because of the price - found them for like $135 shipped. From there, I spent a long time deciding on which panniers I was going to go with. I originally thought I was just going to use the Givi E36s, but I wasn't really pleased with the overall width and shape - price was nice though. I then found a few good reviews of the Givi B36n business case. They cost a bit more, but they weren't near as wide as the E36 and had the same capacity. So I decided to go with the B36n, but low and behold, it's almost impossible to find them in the US for some reason. I didn't really want to order from europe, but I did find an Ebay retailer out of Canada who was selling them for a reasonable shipped price.

Long story short, I got them in yesterday and I'm VERY pleased! I quick measure showed a total width of about 35 inches! Much less than a lot of offerings!

That same ebay retailer was also able to get me the Givi v47 top box which can't be found in the US either! I think it flows better with the Tiger's angles:

Not my bike:

My v47 should be in today and I'll get pics of the set up as soon as I can :)

I'm looking for pictures of the Touratech Stainless rack. Anyone have it?

Scratch that, found it!

I will be mounting a LeoVince can and would like to carry either soft panniers like the Monsoons or hard cases like the Pelican. The stainless rack appeals to me a great deal but I want to make sure it hugs tight to the bike. I don't like the bags sailing out in the wind.

I'm looking for pictures of the Touratech Stainless rack. Anyone have it?

Scratch that, found it!

I will be mounting a LeoVince can and would like to carry either soft panniers like the Monsoons or hard cases like the Pelican. The stainless rack appeals to me a great deal but I want to make sure it hugs tight to the bike. I don't like the bags sailing out in the wind.

-Tom

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Look at WOLFMAN racks. They have their expedition soft bags as well has hard case mounts for their racks. They tuck in as close as possible and look good too with their oval outer frames.